


Ryou Drabbles (yep, yet another drabble collection, fight me)

by TheArtisticIntrovert



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Ableist Language, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Racism, M/M, YGO Realistic AU, YGORAU, a drabble collection, yes i know one of those
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-01-22 07:56:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12476908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtisticIntrovert/pseuds/TheArtisticIntrovert
Summary: just a bunch of drabbles with ryou in them bc dammit there's not enough of my spooky son on here.unless otherwise stated, none of these are related.





	1. His Particular Brand of Crazy

**Author's Note:**

> yep, this is a drabble collection. yes, i hate them too. there's a serious lack of ryou anywhere though, at least, ryou that isn't weird abuse/mpreg/rule 63. here's my attempt to combat that.
> 
> also, you may feel ryou is ooc. you may feel this should be tagged au. well, tough luck. the only au i'll be tagging is my own realistic au, at least for now. 4kidz ruined yugioh and y'all can fight me on that.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Ryou, you’re filling tennis balls with lighter fluid. By definition, that’s a bad idea.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> set in the yugioh realistic au. part of ryou's backstory.

“Okay, so......there’s absolutely  _ no way  _ this could  _ possibly  _ be a bad idea.” Andrew looked over at his friend incredulously, pausing in his attempt to fit together two puzzle pieces. Ryou was currently shoving a syringe into a tennis ball, injecting some kind of liquid inside. An open can of replacement lighter fluid was on the floor next to him, perched precariously on the edge of the knotted rug covering the hardwood floor of his bedroom.

 

“Ryou, you’re filling tennis balls with lighter fluid. By definition, that’s a bad idea,” he said flatly. Ryou scoffed, glancing up through his mint-green bangs before returning his attention to the tennis balls.

 

“Pff, you just have no sense of adventure. Besides, I’m gonna be aiming them at the pond! They won’t be on fire for  _ long,”  _ he said, tongue poking out of his mouth a bit in concentration. He set aside the tennis ball, picking up another one from the tube and refilling his syringe. Andrew rolled his eyes, going back to the puzzle.

 

“Why are you even doing this, anyway? What did Mr. Johnson ever do to you?” he asked. Ryou growled, pausing in filling the tennis ball and looking up again, a dead serious expression on his face.

 

“Andrew, he told me I was going to burn in hell for what, and I’m quoting here, ‘my people did to Pearl Harbor’. I’m pretty sure he also called me a faggot, so....he actually kinda deserves this. If I light his house on fire on accident, I’ll apologize, but I won’t  _ actually  _ be sorry about it.” Andrew was silent for a bit, staring at the puzzle, a dark look on his face.

 

Finally, he spoke. “Do you have another syringe?”

 

\--

 

The two stood, shrouded by darkness, in the little bit of yard where Ryou’s fence was half-broken and shorter than the rest. This bit led into the Johnson’s yard, and Ryou chose this area because of the tree cover, as well as the fact that it was a straight shot to the pond. He pulled a lighter out of his hoodie pocket, pulling his facemask up and tightening his ponytail. A maniacal grin spread across his face as he clicked the lighter, eyes lit up by the flame. He held it to the “fuse” (read: a thick string) he’d put in the tennis ball, lighting it up and waiting for it to catch before lobbing it as hard as he could over the fence.

 

The ball caught fire halfway through the arc, exploding into light just before it hit the swingset, bouncing off the metal and nearly catching the fraying rope of the swing on fire before ending up in the pond. He laughed, glancing over at Andrew. “It’s party time,” he said, eyes glinting. Andrew laughed with him, motioning for the lighter before throwing his own flaming tennis ball over the fence.

  
Whoever said revenge was a dish best served cold had  _ obviously  _ never met Ryou Bakura and his personal brand of crazy.


	2. Can't Judge a Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Creepy should be your middle name."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> set in the yugioh realistic au. part of ryou's backstory.

“You know, you really  _ can’t  _ judge a book by its cover.” Ryou frowned, looking up. Andrew was over again, lounging upside down on Ryou’s bed and playing on his DS.

 

“What?” he asked, confused. Andrew narrowed his eyes in concentration, growling at the sliding puzzle on the screen. “Aren’t......Aren’t you  _ supposed  _ to judge a book by the cover? Isn’t that how you know if you want to read it or not?”

 

“I mean like.......with people, you know?” Andrew said, cursing as he once again had to reset the level. “Like, you, for example. You look all sweet and stuff, but.......I’ve seen what you do when your dad’s not home.” Ryou blinked, blushing slightly and subtly pushing his book under the rug a bit.

 

“N-No! I have no idea what you’re talking about!” he said, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck. Andrew gave him a flat, unimpressed look.

 

“Ryou. Creepy should be your middle name. Seriously! You’re like........unpredictable.” Ryou narrowed his eyes, and Andrew hurriedly backtracked. “That’s not a bad thing, dude! I think it’s pretty cool, actually. Haven’t you noticed how people don’t fuck with you anymore? They’ve heard rumors that you’re like, a witch or something, and now they don’t mess with you!”

 

Ryou glanced at the fabric doll collapsed in the corner, and the goth-type outfits barely visible through the crack in his closet door, and sighed. “You know.....you might be right.....”


	3. Two-Faced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Who’s Ryou?!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> set in the yugioh realistic au. part of ryou's backstory.

“Ryou! Hey, are you home?!” Andrew called, letting himself in. He’d found the spare key ages ago, hidden under a ceramic dog statue on the porch. “Dude, you weren’t in school today, are you sick?” No response. He frowned, closing the door and kicking his shoes off, hanging his backpack up.

 

He headed upstairs, eyes narrowed. The house felt.....empty, like there was nobody home. Maybe Ryou was just......sleeping? He opened the door to Ryou’s room, noticing something odd. The closet was open, and clothes were strewn across the floor, so unlike how neat and meticulous Ryou’s room normally was. He peeked in the closet, eyebrows raising when he saw the racks. It looked like two people lived there, Ryou and......someone who had a membership card at Hot Topic.

 

He yelped when a cold hand grabbed his wrist, another clamping over his mouth. He was dragged backwards, colliding roughly with someone’s chest. “Who are you?!” a gruff, yet familiar voice growled in his ear. He tugged at the hand covering his mouth and nose, gasping for air when it released him. He jumped again when it grabbed his other wrist, pinning it with his other hand behind his back.

 

“Ryou, this isn’t funny!” he gasped, wheezing. “What the hell’s gotten into you, man!” Whoever was behind him snarled, speaking again. This time, Andrew managed to register that their voice didn’t sound quite as.....muffled as Ryou’s did. Was he not wearing his mask?

 

“Who’s Ryou?!”

 

Andrew froze. This wasn’t Ryou. They sounded like Ryou. Their hands felt like Ryou’s. They were even in Ryou’s room! But......this wasn’t Ryou. “I......I thought  _ you  _ were Ryou.....” he said faintly, feeling the blood roaring in his ears.

 

“Well, I’m not. You can call me Bakura. You still haven’t answered my question. Who. The fuck. Are  _ you.”  _ Andrew bit his lip. If this  _ was  _ Ryou, and it might’ve been, considering the name he was given, something was going on. If it  _ wasn’t,  _ then Ryou had more problems than Andrew had ever been aware of. Either way, he had to answer Bakura. He could feel nails digging into his wrists warningly, and his hands were starting to lose circulation.

 

“Andrew! Andrew Young! I’m Ryou’s friend!” he gasped out, relaxing when the pain dulled. Bakura let him go, pushing him away. Andrew turned around, eyes widening. Turns out, it  _ was  _ Ryou, but at the same time, it  _ wasn’t.  _

 

Gone were the preppy sweaters and button downs combo, along with his slacks and high ponytail. Instead, his hair was loose and blown back, giving him a windswept look. His eyes were outlined in dark eyeliner, and his mask was gone. He wore a dark red t-shirt with some kind of gothic-type cross on it, black jeans, and enough chains to open a towing company. He even was wearing earrings, and some kind of ornate golden ring on a rope around his neck. But still, when he got over the shock of the new outfit, it was still Ryou’s face. Slightly different, as the normally relaxed and mischievous features were now twisted in a scowl, but still the same face.

 

“Woah....” he breathed quietly, eyes wide. “Ry-Bakura?” he asked. Bakura scowled.

 

“What?” he snapped, baring his teeth. Andrew blinked, train of thought completely gone. Instead, he stared at Bakura’s mouth. “Hey, asshole, I’m talking to you!” Andrew wasn’t listening.

 

He was too distracted by the rainbow braces on Bakura’s teeth.

 

“No wonder Ryou always wore that mask...”


	4. Ghosting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Papa....why do we have to keep moving?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sort of connected to the yugioh realistic au in the sense that some events from YGORAU!ryou's backstory are mentioned, but it doesn't have to be.

_ “Papa....why do we have to keep moving?” _ __   
  


_ “........it’s for my job Ryou, you know this.” _

 

_ “Papa, you haven’t had a new job offer in months. You were saying how happy you were at your current job. Please stop lying to me....” _

 

_ “............I’m tired, Ryou. Stop asking questions, please.” _ __   
  


_ “But Papa-!” _

 

_ “Please, Ryou!” _

 

_ “..........” _

 

_ “Oh no, please don’t cry! I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you, Ryou. It’s not good for young children to worry about adult problems. Please?” _

 

_ “.......A-Alright.......” _

 

Silence ruled the Bakura household, no matter where that household may be located. Ever since Amane and Natsumi died, it was like their ghosts had attached themselves to the family, weighing them down with depression and sorrow.

 

Bakura Ryou might as well be a ghost himself. Not because he was pale or quiet, no. While he was pale, he reminded his peers of a ghost by the absolute, bone-chilling  _ terror  _ he instilled, without even being aware of it. He terrified them, partly due to his outgoing and friendly nature. Cheerfully showing off the entrails of a dead animal to his third grade class wasn’t considered normal behavior, after all.

 

Ryou himself embraced his reputation, getting more interested by the occult, local horror stories, and ghost paraphernalia. 

 

Small towns were the worst. There, people knew who he was. There, people knew who his family was. He was constantly bombarded by poorly-hidden whispers, tutting over how if his father had been more present in his life, he wouldn’t have turned out such a disappointment.

 

Ryou didn’t think he was a disappointment, but sometimes in the dead of night, he couldn’t help but wonder. He’d been having blackouts lately, especially when someone made him mad. He’d been expelled from more schools than he could count on his fingers  _ and  _ toes, and more often than not, he was the reason they had to move so often.

 

He couldn’t help but wonder if his father thought he was a disappointment. He couldn’t remember the last time the man had spoken to him, after all. Well, when he wasn’t being scolded, that is.

 

_ “Ryou, I told you! You have to control yourself! You can’t throw  _ **_flaming tennis balls_ ** _ at someone’s house because they made you mad!” _

 

_ “I didn’t throw it at his house, I threw them at his stupid pond thing!” _

 

_ “Don’t talk back to me!” _

 

_ "I’m not! I’m just-” _

 

_ “Shut up! I didn’t raise you to act like this, Ryou! I think that Young boy is a bad influence on you.” _

 

_ “Andrew had nothing to do with this! He was trying to tell me to stop!” _

 

_ “Then why the hell, if he tried to get you to stop, did I have Jacob Johnson knocking on my door last week with a bag full of charred tennis balls?!” _

 

He couldn’t quite remember what happened after that, but it was around then that his father said they were moving back to Japan. It was fine, he didn’t mind, in fact, he’d missed Japan.

 

He hadn’t quite realized that his father had meant he was moving into an apartment by himself, but that’s alright too! Technically, they both lived there, since fifteen was too young for him to live on his own.

 

Still though, he couldn’t help but wonder, at home all night by himself.........if his father would just leave him behind once his sixteenth birthday passed.

 

_ “Don’t worry, Landlord.....You won’t be alone.......Not as long as I’m here with you.” _


	5. Game Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Move it to tomorrow night. I know about the movies, and the tradition, but there’s something else important tonight. It has to be tonight.”_

Andrew liked Ryou. Really, he did. Ryou was probably one of the funniest, coolest people he knew. Sure, he was a bit weird, (who had that many voodoo dolls, anyway?) but that was okay! It wasn’t like he was hurting anybody! Ryou was the harmless kind of crazy, the kind that makes people shake their heads, but not enough to be labeled “dangerous”.

 

Until he wasn’t.

 

He didn’t realize it was happening until it happened, but apparently Ryou had been getting bullied. Not anywhere where Andrew could see, as he’d assumed everyone was leaving Ryou alone due to the rumors that he’d cursed the last kid who messed with him. Apparently not.

 

He’d been heading to Ryou’s house for their weekly movie night, when he’d gotten a call. “Ryou?”

 

It wasn’t. It was the other Ryou, the scary one, that called himself Bakura.

 

_ “Don’t come tonight.” _

 

“What? Ry-sorry, Bakura, what’s going on?!”

 

_ “Move it to tomorrow night. I know about the movies, and the tradition, but there’s something else important tonight. It has to be tonight.” _

 

“Bakura, you’re scaring me.  _ What  _ has to be tonight?!”

 

_ “The Game.” _

 

Andrew shuddered, a chill going down his spine, despite the sweltering heat. He could practically  _ hear  _ the capital letters. “G-Game? What  _ game?”  _ he asked.

 

_ “It’s not important. Just stay away from here tonight, if you don’t want to play. And trust me, this isn’t a game you’d want to play. The stakes are far too high. Just stay away, alright?” _

 

“No! Ryou, this isn’t funny anymore! Tell me what’s going on!” Andrew demanded. Ryou’s growl came down the line as static, but the intention was still there.

 

_ “Fine, you want to play that badly?! Then come over! The Game won’t mind one more player, in fact it would WELCOME it! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”  _

 

The line went dead. Andrew stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, giving his phone a horrified look. Then, determination pooled in his gut. No way was he letting that slide. Ryou wanted to be an asshole? He’d play his game, and he’d  _ win.  _ That’d teach him.

 

With a dark scowl on his face, Andrew continued on towards the Bakura household, unaware that this game would be his last.

 

\--

 

**_‘LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN IN SUDDEN COMA; POSSIBLE NEW EPIDEMIC?’_ **

 

**_‘Early this morning, 911 was called to a residence in downtown Columbia, where five middle school children had apparently fallen into sudden, unexplained comas. The caller (name withheld for privacy) was apparently a classmate of theirs, who’d invited them over to his house for a game night. He has no memory of what transpired the night before, however.’_ **

 

_ (The rest of the paper is too charred and blackened to read) _


	6. Thin Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I’ve had it up to **here,** Bakura-kun!”_

Everyone knew Bakura Ryou was weird. Sure, he had his little ‘fan club’, but even they were blinded by his looks, and nobody else really noticed him. They tended to stay away from him, leaving him alone most of the time.

 

That might have driven him a little around the bend, honestly.

 

\--

 

“I am your god! Dance, my little puppets, dance! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

 

The head shattered against the wall, staining the plaster with red. A low thump, a loud crash, a crunch. The boy stepped through the carnage, picking up the body and gripping both arms tightly. He pulled, slowly, torturously, until they came free, sending the body crashing to the floor once more.

 

He stomped on it with relish, grabbing a knife off of the counter and slashing at another victim. His laugh grew louder, echoing off the walls of his apartment as he stood in the carnage. A loud knocking—more of a pounding sound, really—interrupted him. He frowned, heading over to the door.

 

A disheveled old woman stood in front of him, wrapped in a fuzzy pink bathrobe and wearing hair curlers. “I’ve had it up to  _ here,  _ Bakura-kun!” she snapped, poking him harshly in the chest. He bit his lip, tucking his hair behind his ear.

 

“Sorry, Hirata-san....” he muttered. She snorted, poking him again and scowling.

 

“Tch! Don’t you ‘sorry’ me, young man! This is the third time this week I’ve had my nap interrupted by you! If this keeps up, I’m going to write a complaint to Noguchi-san about you! Doesn’t your father teach you better?!” she snapped, glaring.

 

Ryou smiled, though it was strained. “I apologize again, Hirata-san....I didn’t realize how loud I was being.” He deigned to ignore the comment about his father.

 

“Keh! I’m too tired to deal with you right now. See it doesn’t happen again, or I’ll have you out on your ear by the end of the week! You  _ and  _ your father!” she snapped, scowling and storming off down the hall again.

 

Ryou shook his head, sighed, and went back inside. Seems he had a lot of cleaning up to do.....That’s what he gets for making his games more interactive. His poor stuffed animals wouldn’t be the same again....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because ryou isn't gonna take care of himself, so eiko is gonna have to do it for him. complaining and grumbling the entire time, of course.


	7. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _[.....] for some reason, a simple kiss reduced him to mush._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based on my first kiss with my datemate. because sometimes fireworks aren't how you know you love someone.

Their first kiss technically wasn’t their first, not by a longshot. Ryou had kissed Yuugi’s forehead and Yuugi Ryou’s cheek plenty of times, but since those don’t tend to count, their first kiss......it came later.

 

To be precise, it came on a Saturday, in the heat of the afternoon, just after school let out.

 

They were at Yuugi’s house, lying on massive pillows while Yuugi tried to explain the intricacies of the combos in Street Fighter II to Ryou, with minimal success. While Yuugi relied on strategy, Ryou relied on pure luck (and yes, a bit of button-mashing). Ryou wasn’t about to stop him, though.

 

Yuugi’s eyes just.....lit up when he was talking about games, and Ryou wasn’t about to take that away from him, even if he never intended to use the complicated strategy Yuugi was attempting to explain. Instead, he contented himself with watching Yuugi, a small smile on his face.

 

“—and that’s about it! Do you have any questions, Ryou?” Yuugi asked, finally looking up from the TV. He puffed his cheeks out when he realized Ryou hadn’t been listening at all. He leaned forward, about to wave his hands in front of Ryou’s face to catch his attention.

 

Or, he would’ve, if Ryou hadn’t kissed him first.

 

It was brief, barely a second of pressure before they separated, both bright red. Yuugi raised a trembling hand to his lips, blush deepening while he struggled to understand what had just happened.

 

Ryou wasn’t having much luck either. He’d buried his face in the pillow, falling back into old patterns to parse the situation.

 

_ ‘One. I kissed Yuugi. Two. I’ve kissed Yuugi before. Three. I kissed Yuugi on the lips. Four. There weren’t fireworks. Five. It felt really nice. Six. I want to kiss Yuugi again.’ _

 

Yuugi’s thoughts weren’t so logical. Instead, he was mostly just mentally screaming, flailing, and trying to gather his thoughts again. It was no secret that he was the more dirty-minded of the couple, and yet....for some reason, a simple kiss reduced him to mush. It hadn’t even been dirty! It was barely a brush of lips!

 

He looked up, peeking up through his bangs at Ryou. “Did....Did you feel anything? Sparks, or something?” Yuugi asked. Ryou shook his head. Yuugi bit his lip. He hadn’t either, but.... “Do you....wanna do it again?” he asked. Ryou nodded, shifting closer.

 

This time, when they kissed, it was like a soft warmth settled in both their chests. Sure, maybe it didn’t feel like fireworks, maybe it didn’t feel magical, but......they both preferred the quiet warmth instead.


	8. Meeting the Medium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Because if you could, you’d run screaming in the other direction.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wes is from danny phantom. he's a background character the fandom adopted. in this, he's a medium, just like in my other fic, paranormal activity vii.

Columbia had been the best thing to ever happen to him, as well as the worst. There, he’d met Andrew. There, he’d had friends.

 

There, he’d lost everything in one night.

 

They’d moved the next day, to a quiet, unassuming town in Illinois. His father swore it was because of work. Ryou knew the truth. He knew they moved because of him. He knew the reason they were living in a shitty apartment on the edge of town was his fault. His.....freakishness. If it weren’t for the blackouts.....

 

No. He can’t blame all his problems on the blackouts. No matter how much he wanted to believe otherwise, it wasn’t a ghost doing these things. It was him. And he hated it.

 

\--

 

American public schools were the worst, especially the ones with a lower budget. The students cared even less than the teachers, and the teachers didn’t give a shit. Bullying ran rampant and as long as the student was popular, they got off.

 

Casper High was the worst example. On his first day, Ryou witnessed a kid getting shoved in a locker, multiple back-alley beatings in abandoned hallways, and a constant backdrop of insults and threats. Walking the hallways felt like wandering Colfax in the dark (an experience he never wanted to repeat).

 

But then, he met Wes. His name was the kind of tongue twister Ryou hated, with the multitude of “S” sounds and obnoxious alliteration. He was tall and lanky, almost like Ryou himself, and the center on the junior varsity basketball team.

 

He was also one of the bullied.

 

Apparently, Wes was a “schizo freak” who believed in cryptids and swore that Danny Fenton (another freshman) was actually some kind of two-faced monster. Ryou liked him almost immediately. Anyone with an interest in the paranormal was someone he wanted to talk to, if only to compare notes.

 

Getting him alone, though, proved to be a challenge. Every time Wes saw him coming, his already pale face turned the color of soured milk, and he sped off in the other direction. It was.....disheartening, to say the least.

 

Still, Ryou didn’t give up. He was determined to talk to this boy, even if he had to corner him to do it.

 

\--

 

It took until October when he finally managed to get Wes alone. To be fair, Ryou did catch him off guard after practice, having had staked out the locker rooms. Wes tried to run away, but Ryou just smiled at him. “There’s no other exit in here, you know. I already checked,” he said pleasantly. Wes bit his lip, eyes wild and staring at a spot just over Ryou’s shoulder.

 

“W-What.....What do you want?” he croaked. His eyes were clear, but he still stared at the empty air behind Ryou like there was something there.

 

Ryou frowned, scuffing the toe of his sneaker on the ground. “I.....just wanted to say hi. I heard you like the paranormal, so.....” He averted his eyes, crossing his arms tightly. “Sorry. I just......wanted to see if you....wanted to compare notes or something.” His voice was barely a whisper now, and he could feel his face burning. “I’ll go.....”

 

He turned to leave, when Wes suddenly spoke. “My notes wouldn’t help you.” Ryou stopped, hand still clenching the door handle. “You can’t see the things I see.” Ryou frowned, turning around.

 

“What makes you say that?” he asked, genuinely curious. Wes managed a small smile, sweat gleaming on his face.

 

“Because if you could, you’d run screaming in the other direction.” He ran a hand through his hair, the sweat making it stand comically on end. “The things I see.....everyone thinks they’re hallucinations. But they’re not. I can see what they can’t, what they can’t comprehend. And I know you’re not like me, because if you were, you’d be a lot jumpier.”

 

Ryou furrowed his brow, fiddling with one of the spikes on his Ring out of habit. “You’re not making any sense.....” he said, confusion only growing as Wes’ eyes widened. “Can you just......tell me what you mean?”

 

“Fine. Small words. Got it,” Wes huffed. Ryou frowned, mildly offended. “You’re haunted, kid. It’s not as bad as Fenton, but.....there’s a ghost hovering just over your shoulder.” Ryou’s eyes widened, and he looked over, despite knowing he’d see nothing.

 

“Really? I knew it! I really  _ was _ possessed!” he gasped excitedly, eyes shining. Wes raised an eyebrow.

 

“You’re......happy?” he asked. Ryou nodded enthusiastically.  _ “Why?  _ The last haunted person I told, he threatened to kill me.” Ryou grinned widely, though it remained unseen through his facemask.

 

“Because that means I’m not crazy. The things that happen around me......they’re not  _ me!  _ I was so scared I was a bad person, or that my father was right and that I was just crazy. But now I know it’s a ghost!” He bowed to Wes, not deep enough to be a formal one, but enough that Wes took a step back. He covered the Ring through his shirt, smiling widely. “There really is a spirit in this ring.....”

 

He bounded out of the room before Wes could speak, too excited to think. He had to get home and get his ouija board ready. He needed to talk to the ghost before his father came home.


	9. No Seances Allowed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Hi, welcome to Subway, what can I get started for ya today?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by That One Photo: 

“Danny, are you sure you’re okay with this? I’m not getting cold feet, you’re just very easy to recognize.” Ryou shifted the ouija box under his arm, biting his lip. He couldn’t hide the excitement in his eyes, but he wanted to make sure Danny was okay.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve been wanting to get this secret out anyway, I’m not scared of the GIW anymore. Besides, we could use some fun.” He pushed his hair back out of his eyes, transforming in almost the same motion. Ryou shielded his eyes from the glare, grinning widely. In Danny’s place floated a toasty, translucent ghost boy in a burned HAZMAT.

 

“You remember the plan, right?” Ryou asked. Danny nodded, giving him an ok-hand symbol. “Great. Let’s get going.”

 

\--

 

Ryou walked into the Subway, box now tucked away safely in his schoolbag. Danny followed behind, close enough that his faint chill made the hairs on the back of Ryou’s neck stand up. He smiled slightly, shifting the straps of his bag.

 

At the counter, he enacted Phase One: Ordering. “Hi, welcome to Subway, what can I get started for ya today?” the person behind the counter asked. He looked over the menu options, before started to recite his memorized orders.

 

“One six-inch turkey on nine-grain honey oat, please.” The person nodded, starting to assemble the sub.

 

“Cheese? And would you like that toasted?” they asked. He shook his head no on both counts.

 

“No, thank you. And, can I also get a footlong spicy italian on jalepeno cheddar?” he asked, after being prodded in the side by Danny. They nodded, sliding his six-inch over and putting together Danny’s order.

 

“Cheese?” Ryou deliberated a moment.

 

“Pepperjack. Not toasted.” They nodded, and he moved down the line.

 

\--

 

Once the sandwiches were finally ordered and paid for, Ryou was ready to start Phase Two of their plan. He sat down in a booth and unwrapped his sandwich, pulling out the ouija board after taking a bite. He set it up, a brush of cold air letting him know Danny was in position.

 

He wiped his fingers on a napkin, scootching his sandwich aside and placing the first three fingers of both hands on the planchette. “Danny, are you here?” he murmured, just loud enough that the couple in the booth next to him looked over.

 

Danny’s hands rested atop his, pushing the planchette to YES. Ryou smiled again, laughing silently. Danny’s cold knee brushed Ryou’s again, as he leaned over to spell something on the board.

 

Of course, being invisible, all the patrons saw was a kid and a ouija board.

 

_ R-Y-O-U _

 

“Yes? What is it?” he asked, sounding excited.

 

_ I-W-A-N-T-E-D-I-T-T-O-A-S-T-E-D _

 

“What? But that’s not what you said earlier! Come on Danny, make up your mind! I got it special and everything!” Ryou whined, genuinely upset. Danny had wanted it toasted?

 

_ Y-O-U-G-O-T-T-A-T-O-A-S-T-T-H-E-G-H-O-S-T _

 

“DANNY! Ugh, I can’t believe I  _ fell _ for that! You’re quite a memer, for a ghost.” People were staring harder now. Ryou could hear the whispers. For once though, they weren’t coming from inside his own mind. Danny was barely keeping his snickering quiet, little huffs of air making Ryou’s eyes water.

 

_ C-A-N-I-E-A-T-N-O-W-? _

 

“Fine, I guess. Hang on, lemme just....” Ryou took his fingers off the planchette, causing one horrified gasp. He smirked slightly, keeping one hand on the board and using the other to grab Danny’s sandwich. He set it in front of the “empty” booth, putting his fingers back on the planchette. “Here. Have fun.”

 

Phase Three: Lunch was now in action. Danny, still invisible, started to unwrap his sandwich and tear pieces off. He made sure to close his hand around them before eating, so he could avoid the “floating bread” thing.

 

Apparently, the customers had enough. A manager came over to Ryou’s table, looking a bit spooked. “Excuse me, sir?” he asked. Ryou looked up, tilting his head. “I’m going to need to ask you to leave. You’re disturbing the other customers.”

 

Ryou looked around, finally nodding. “Okay. Just give me a second to say goodbye,” he said, looking back at the board. Danny was lazily circling the pointer around the board at this point, the planchette now obviously  _ not _ being moved by Ryou. “Goodbye, Danny. We can talk again later, right?”

 

Danny moved the pointer to YES, before then moving it over to GOODBYE. Ryou sighed and started packing up, wrapping their sandwiches and smiling at the manager. “Sorry about that, sir. My friend wanted Subway.” He smiled winningly, before edging past him and leaving hurriedly.

 

He made it about a block away before ducking into an alley. Danny flickered back into visibility, laughing so hard Ryou was scared he’d pull something. “That was  _ amazing!”  _ he wheezed, wiping a tear away.

 

“Did you see how freaked out they were when you started eating?!” Ryou giggled, wiping his eyes. Danny changed back to human, still laughing.

 

“Come on, let’s finish these in the park.”

 

\--

 

The new “No ouija or seance allowed!” sign in the window of the Subway raised many questions in the Amity Park residents. Only Danny and Ryou knew the truth.

 

Rules are only rules because someone’s done it before.


	10. Fairy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Hey, Bakura, I gotta question for you. Why are you using the Spirit’s deck?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kind of set in my realistic au except a version where everyone is happy and nothing hurts

It was just supposed to be a casual game at lunch. All Ryou wanted was to duel Yuugi, the ante being some anpan that Yuugi found in his bag. No world-destroying plans, no shadow games, no magic, nothing. Just two friends playing a card game. Simple. Easy.

 

And it was. Until Jounouchi ruined the mood by opening his mouth.

 

“Hey, Bakura, I gotta question for you. Why are you using the Spirit’s deck?” There it was again. The question he’d been getting since Battle City. Ryou smiled, feeling his eye twitch in annoyance.

 

“Because it’s not the  _ Spirit’s  _ deck, it’s  _ my  _ deck.  _ He  _ stole it from me,” he explained. Jou didn’t look convinced. “I’m serious! I made this deck, intending to use it in a friendly duel, but I never got the chance. Now, nobody believes me when I say it was originally mine!” he snapped, tamping down on the childish urge to cross his arms and pout.

 

“Well......no offense Ryou-kun, but you don’t exactly look like the type to use an Occult-themed deck,” Yuugi said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Ryou blinked, looking at his boyfriend in mock-affront.

 

“Betrayed! Yuugi, you know better than  _ anyone  _ how much I like the occult!” he accused, trying to amp up the drama in his voice so Yuugi didn’t get upset. It didn’t quite work though, Yuugi’s anxiety too strong to notice.

 

“S-Sorry! It’s just that—I mean—!” he sputtered, blushing furiously. Ryou laughed, reaching across the desk and ruffling Yuugi’s ungelled hair gently. “H-Hey!”

 

“Calm down, Yuugi. I was joking,” he said softly. Yuugi pouted and looked away, waving Ryou’s hand away from his head. “Aw, come on, don't be like that!”

 

“Anyway, you really don't look like the type to use that fiend slash zombie deck. You really look like more of a plant or fairy type guy,” Jou said, blunt as usual. This time, it was Ryou’s turn to blush, narrowing his eyes. “I mean, you just look so soft! Like you’re made of sugar, ya know?” he continued.

 

“Jounouchi-kun......” Ryou said softly, a kind smile on his face. Yuugi leaned back, trying to hide his laughter behind his hands. Jou was in for it now. “You do realize I have four different tattoos, dress like a goth, and freak people out by staring at them?” He turned his thousand-yard stare on Jou, tilting his head just slightly to the left. Jounouchi, to his credit, didn’t back away. Sure, he jumped and went a little pale, but at least he didn’t back up. Progress.

 

“Y-Yeah, but you still seem like the type of guy to help an old lady across the street, even if it made ya late, you know?” Jou argued, visibly sweating. Ryou just smiled a bit wider, internally cackling at the visible sweat on Jou’s forehead.

 

Yuugi, on the other hand, lost the battle with his laughter. Loud, hysterical giggles burst out from behind his hands, unable to be held back any longer. “H-He’s got a point, Jou!” he managed, wiping his eyes. “I dress like a punk and Ryou-kun’s  _ still  _ scarier than I am!”

 

“Love you too, Yuugi!” Ryou said brightly, dropping the dead-eyed stare. He ruffled Yuugi’s hair again, yelping quietly when the other kicked him in the shin. “Ow! Okay, okay, hint taken...”


End file.
